Apparatus for lifting a stack of building units and the like



Dec. 4, 1962 M. E. BROOKS 3,066,968

APPARATUS FOR LIFTING A STACK OF BUILDING UNITS AND THE LIKE Filed April19, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INV EN TOR.

- Mar/o/e. E. Brao/ts F/fara sy:

M. E. BROOKS Dec. 4, 1962 APPARATUS FOR LIFTING A STACK OF BUILDING UNTS AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 19, 1961 A N INVENTOR.

Mar/an E. Brooks I Hffar/zeys 3,066,968 APPARATUS FOR LIFTENG A STACK OFBUlLD- ING UNKTS AND THE LIKE Marion E. Brooks, Columbus, Ga., assignorto Biclterstail, Inc, a corporation of Georgia Filed Apr. 19, 1961, Ser.No. 184,121 Claims. (Cl. 294-63) This invention relates to apparatus forlifting stacks of building units such as concrete blocks and moreparticularly to an improved mounting of the tines of the apparatus tothe frame thereof.

Heretofore, the tines of frames for lifting stacks of concrete blocks orother similar units having openings therethrough have been securedrigidly to the frames. When rigidily secured tines are inserted throughopenings in a plurality of stacked blocks, the lower tier of whichconsists of blocks having their openings generally aligned, the tineshit or strike against the blocks that are out of alignment and shift theblocks of the lower tier or else break or chip the blocks. In thestacking of hollowed-out tile or concrete blocks, the blocks are oftenout of alignment and to keep from chipping the same the operator of thelifting apparatus must be very careful. Such extra caution slows thelifting operation thereby increasing the cost of loading or unloadingsuch units.

It is an object of the present invention to provide in stack liftingapparatus, tines which are connected somewhat in universal joint fashionto the lift frame so that when inserted through a row of blocks, theopenings in which may not be perfectly aligned, the outer ends of thetines are individually free to move or shift, thus to enter the blockswithout jamming or damaging them.

A further object is to provide lifting apparatus for stacks ofrectangular objects in which loosely secured tines are mounted formovement relative to each other so that the distance between adjacenttines may be varied to accommodate various sizes and types of concreteblocks and the like.

An additional object is to provide stack lifting apparatus with looselysecured tines and the apparatus being carried by an overhead boom andcomprising an overhanging support having a trackway to receive a trolleyconnected to the boom for lifting the frame and objects thereon.

Apparatus embodying features of my invention is shown in theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of my lifting apparatus having a pluralityof loosely mounted tines adapted to engage openings in rectangularobjects for lifting the objects;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the lifting apparatus shown in FIG.1 supported by an overhanging boom and having a stack of concrete blocksthereon with a portion of the lower layer of blocks broken away to showthe tines within openings therein;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional fragmentary view of a tine looselyconnected within a bushing; and,

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken generally along line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings for a betterunderstanding of my stack lifting apparatus, I show a boom of a crane orthe like (not shown) and having a movable pulley 11 thereon. Cable 12 issecured to pulley 13 on a clevis 14 and is adap'ed to carry a lift frameindicated generally by the numeral 16 having stacks of concrete blocks Cthereon.

Frame 16 comprises a back 17 having side members 18 and 19. A rod 21extends between side members ite States tent 18 and 19 and is securedthereto. Cross member 22 is secured to the lower end of side members 18and 19.

Arms 23 are mounted on rod 21 and set screws 24 hold arms 23 in positionon rod 21. Arms 23 can thus be adjusted along rod 21 so that thedistance between adjacent arms may be varied. An overhanging frame 27extends in a generally horizontal direction over blocks C and has anupwardly inclined trackway 28 therein formed by channel members 29.Trolley 31 has wheels 32 thereon mounted in trackway 28 and is adaptedto move into engagement with adjusting screw 34 when frame 16 is liftedby boom 10. Extension 36 on trolley 31 is secured to clevis 14 by pin 37as shown in FIG. 2. The position of trolley 31 when in lifting positionmay be varied by the adjustment of screw 34 so that the point at whichblocks C are carried may he moved relative to the blocks allowingtrolley 31 to be adjusted for different weights or shapes of stacks.

A tine 38 is mounted on each of arms 23 and has a pointed end 39 whichis adapted to enter openings in concrete blocks or the like. For tinesaround 40" long a diameter of 2" with a solid steel tine has workedeffectively.

The mounting of the tines 38 is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. A circularbushing 41 is secured to each arm 23 in tilted relation. Thelongitudinal axis of bushing 41 is inclined slightly upwardly withrespect to the longitudinal axis of tine 38 so that tines 38 areperpendicular to back 17 and in horizontal relation when the tines areat rest. Tine 38 is shown at rest in FIG. 3 engaging the outer upper endand the lower inner end of bushing 41. The inner diameter of bushing 41is sufliciently larger than the outer diameter of time 38 to allow thetine to move relative to bushing 41 in the event the tine strikes orengages the surface of the concrete block C. With tine 38 forty incheslong the outer end of tine 38 may be moved in a circle approximatelyfour inches in diameter. Thus, considerable play is obtained by thetines to permit tines 38 to wiggle or shift as they move throughopenings in blocks C.

To hold tine 38 loosely in bushing 41, a bolt 42 extends through anopening 43 of enlarged diameter in the tine. Nut 44 secures bolt 42 toarm 23. It is highly desirable that tines 38 remain in perpendicularrelation to back 17 as they move through aligned openings in blocks Csince inclination of the tines from a horizontal position would causethe tines to engage sides of the blocks thereby chipping or shifting theblocks.

From the foregoing, it will be understood that I have provided tines forlifting apparatus which are connected loosely to the lift frame so thatthe tines are free to move when the surface of the concrete block or thelike is contacted, thereby holding to a minimum chipping or shifting ofthe blocks. The tines remain in a horizontal position and perpendicularto the back of the lifting frame when at rest and this is accomplishedby having the bushings in which the tines are mounted. arranged at anangle to the tines. Further, my lifting frame is adapted to be carriedby an overhanging boom from a crane or the like with the boom connectedto a movable trolley which may be adjusted to vary the position of thetrolley over the stack of blocks C.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious tothose skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptibleof various changes and modifications without departing from the spiritthereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall beplaced thereupon as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In lifting apparatus adapted to lift a stack of generally rectangularobjects in which the lower layer there- Patented Dec. 4, I982 of hasgenarally aligned horizontally extending openings, a verticajlyextending back having a horizontally extending rod thereon, a pluralityof generally vertical arms mounted on said rod and adapted to beadjusted along said rod to vary the spacing between adjacent arms, eachof said arms having an opening adjacent the lower end thereof, arod-like circular tine in each of the arm openings adapted to enter thegenerally aligned circular openings of the lower layer of the stack,said arm openings being of a diameter sufficiently larger than the outerdiameter of the tines to allow movement of the outer ends of the tines,the length of the tines and the relative diameters being sufiicient toallow the outer ends of the tines to inscribe a circular pathapproximately four inches in diameter, and means securing said tinesloosely within the arm openings.

2. In lifting apparatus adapted to lift a stack of generally rectangularobjects in which the lower layer thereof has generally alignedhorizontally extending openings, a vertically extending back having aplurality of spaced horizontally extending openings adjacent the lowerend thereof, a rod-like tine in each of the back openings adapted toenter the openings in the lower layer of the stack, said back openingsbeing of a diameter sufficiently larger than the outer diameter of thetines to allow movement of the outer ends of the tines, means holdingthe tines loosely within the back openings, an overhanging supportadjacent the upper end of the back and extending outwardly in the samedirection as the tines, and a movable member on said support by whichthe lifting apparatus is adapted to be supported from a cable or thelike, said movable member being adjustable in a horizontal directionthereby to vary the point of pickup of the apparatus.

3. In a tine frame adapted to lift a stack of generally rectangularobjects in which at least the lower layer has generally aligned openingstherethrough, a vertically extending back having a plurality of spacedhorizontally extending openings adjacent the lower end thereof, arod-like tine in each of the openings adapted to enter the openings inthe stack of objects, said openings being of a diameter sufficientlylarger than the outer diameter of the tines to allow movement of theouter ends of the tines, means holding the tines loosely within theopenings, an overhanging support adjacent the upper end of the back andextending outwardly in the same direction as the tines, a trackway insaid overhanging support, a trolley mounted in said trackway formovement therealong and adapted to be supported from a cable or -thelike, and means on the support to limit the outward movement of thetrolley, whereby the point of pickup of the tine frame over the stackmay be varied.

4. In a tine frame adapted to lift a stack of generally rectangularobjects in which the lower layer thereof has generally aligned openingsextending therethrough, a vertically extending back, a plurality ofspaced horizontally extending bushings adjacent the lower end of theback, a rod-like circular tine in each of the bushings and adapted toenter the aligned openings in the stack, said bushings being of an innerdiameter sufficiently larger than the outer diameter of the circulartines to allow movement of the outer ends of the tines, the longitudinalaXis of said bushings being inclined slightly upwardly with respect tothe longitudinal axis of said tines so that the tines are perpendlcularto the back when the tines are at rest with the tines engaging thebushings when at rest only at the upper outer ends and the loweropposite ends thereof, means holding the tines loosely within thebushings, an overhanging support adjacent the upper end of the back andextending outwardly in the same direction as the tines, a trackway insaid overhanging support, a trolley mounted in said trackway formovement therealong and adapted to be supported from a cable or thelike, and means on the support in contact with the trolley to adjust theoutward movement thereof whereby the point of pickup of the lift frameover the stack may be varied.

5. In lifting apparatus for lifting a stack of generally rectangularobjects in which the lower layer thereof has generally aligned openingstherethrough, a lift frame adapted to support a stack of objects, saidlift frame comprising an overhanging member adapted to extend over theobjects, a boom over the lift frame, a movable member on the overhangingmember connected to the boom for carrying the lift frame and theobjects, a plurality of generally horizontally extending bushingsadjacent the lower end of the lift frame, a plurality of circularrod-like tines in the bushings adapted to enter aligned circularopenings in the lower layer of the stack of objects, said bushings beingof an inner diameter sufficiently larger than the outer diameter of thecircular tines to allow movement of the tines, the length of the tinesand the relative diameters being sufiicient to allow the outer ends ofthe tines to inscribe a circular path over two inches in diameter, andmeans securing the tines loosely within the bushings.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,265,106 Penfield May 7, 1918. 1,840,327 Paulsen Jan. 12, 19322,494,823 Madsen Jan. 17, 1950 2,503,689. Rike Apr. 11, 1950 2,623,775Garnet et al. Dec. 30, 1952 2,849,253 Bopp Aug. 26, 1958 2,918,322. BoppDec. 22, 1959- 2,989,201 Hansen June 20, 196i)

